Of Long Hours, Lectures, and Libraries

Jake and Elwood in Seoul?

Every once in a while, an image, a song, a product, or a reference strikes me as quintessentially “American,” and I think, ‘how did that end up in Korea???’  This was certainly the case when I passed by the “Blues Brothers” storefront pictured here during a recent walk through Sinchon:

The pace of life has picked up here in Seoul.  I should say that the pace of my life has picked up, since most people in Seoul are working like crazy…all the time. Professionals and full-time employees typically work 6 days a week, and long hours each day.  In addition, most students in grades K-12 attend school from 8-3 and then go directly to “hogwan,” private learning centers, until 10:00 or 11:00pm, Monday through Friday, year round. As an educator, I cringe hearing details about the pressure to perform on standardized tests placed on Korean kids at schools/hogwans, and about the dominant emphasis on rote memorization. More broadly, as a parent and person who cares about the Korean people, the “hogwan” phenomenon & work week practices raise concerning questions.  For example, what is the impact of such long hours at school/work on family relationships and children’s development? How are young people’s visions for their futures distorted by the images of working life that surround them? At what point are we living to work instead of working to live? It’s disheartening; however, I can only imagine what the students themselves are feeling. A recent article in The Korean Times, discussed the increasing desire among Korean young adults to leave Korea. It’s a serious issue here. The Korean people’s work ethic and fighting spirit fueled the nation’s rapid economic development–the “miracle on the Han river”–but a stable future will likely require a more balanced approach both to education and to employment.

On university campuses here, students enjoy a few years of somewhat lessened pressures. Their years of studying and hagwon have paid off, and the reality of the job market and work climate remain far enough in the future to enable some leisure, deepened friendships, and happy memories of college life. The Fall here, like back home, exudes an academic spirit and a freshness that seems capable of opening minds and sparking conversations on its own.

Yonsei’s campus offers a stunning Fall landscape

Baekyang-ro, Yonsei’s central walkway

Over the past several weeks, my responsibilities both at the university and in the community have been increasing steadily. In short, I’ve been giving a lot of lectures, presentations, and “chapel talks.”  It’s been a wonderful way to meet people and to engage in the kind of cultural exchange that’s central to the Fulbright mission.  I’ll spare you all the details, but here are a few photos and highlights from the past several weeks:

Believe it or not, that’s me at the podium, all the way down at the front of the auditorium…the crowd size (~600 students) was a bit intimidating!

Here I’m checking out the setup before the lecture.

Here’s the University’s newly renovated Main Gate

This lecture tied in with Yonsei’s celebration of “Liberal Arts & Sciences for the Asian Century,” which commemorates several of the university’s international partnerships and educational advances. One of the milestones being celebrated was the 10 year anniversary of “Underwood International College,” through which my undergrad seminar on “Religion and Politics in the West” is being offered. The title of my presentation was, “Why Do Good Questions Matter?”  In part, I suggested, they matter because they can set us on a quest.

Some of the other presentations I’ve given have been “chapel talks” of one form or another.  For example, I recently gave a talk entitled, “Martyrdom 3.0,” which was inspired by an email exchange with my friend and colleague from North Central College, Dr. Bill Muck, following his provocative “TIP Talk” on the appeal of ISIS.

Delivering a “Chapel Talk” on ancient and modern expressions of martyrdom.

Within the Korean Orthodox community, there have been many opportunities to share ideas and build new friendships.  Oftentimes, the clergy and staff at the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas receive requests for a church tour or a lecture on an aspect of Orthodox Christianity.  It’s been a joy helping out with some of these, as was the case recently when a group of young adults from a large Anglican church requested a presentation on Orthodox Iconography, a clergy association in Incheon (about an hour from Seoul) asked for a lecture on “Iconography and the Bible”, and a group of graduate students from Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary came to St. Nicholas Cathedral to see an Orthodox Eucharistic service and to have a dialogue about Protestant and Orthodox liturgical practices.

Explaining the role of icons and architecture in Orthodox spirituality to an Anglican youth group.

Having lunch with some of the pastors from the Incheon clergy association after giving a lecture on “Icons and the Bible”

An attentive and inquisitive group from Presbyterian University visits St. Nicholas

Finally, I thought readers might enjoy seeing a few images from the libraries at Yonsei.  Let me just say up front that (1) I’m not one to put a lot of value on externals (I’m more concerned with how a library is being used than by what it looks like…) and (2) I’m partial to “old” libraries with big oak tables and stained glass windows.  However, the ultra-modern and high-tech facilities at Yonsei are simply awesome.  There’s tons of light; material and electronic resources are abundant and easy to access; study rooms and pods can be reserved online or by using seemingly ubiquitous touch screens; and the sheer amount of high-end technology is breathtaking. I think I’m being converted! Enjoy the photos below from Yonsei’s Central Library, Underwood Memorial Library, and Yonsei-Samsung Library (yes, it helps when Samsung steps up as a major sponsor).  Thanks for reading!!!

Check out these giant screens for browsing the news online.

Can you guess what’s in these giant eggs / pods?

Voila! Pretty sweet spot for reading Religion & Philosophy books!

The amount of light throughout the space is extraordinary.

How cool are these space-age sofas?

And these come equipped with foot rest pillows!

Small-group study rooms, from the outside…

And the inside (more foot rest pillows!)

Here’s the “global PC island” …okay, it’s not Hawaii, but it’s a pretty sweet spot for studious undergrads.

The best feature of these state-of-the-art libraries, however, has nothing to do with technology and everything to with hard-working students!

And here’s the bonus photo for those who patiently read all the way to the end of this (too) long post:

Pat and I enjoying an afternoon walk in the “Bukchon Village,” a neighborhood in Seoul filled with traditional Korean-style homes called “hanoks”